Automatic feeding device



June 112, wza. 1,45%,339-

' R; B. HANCOCK AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 20, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 12, 1923?; v

' R. B. HANCOCK AUTOMATIC FEEDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 20, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lid Patented dune l2, lldEd.

I llhll'llldl) STATES PATENT @FFHQCE.

EAI lJDQlLPH El. l'CQGK, @IE G INDWQA.

AUTUMATICC TING DEVICE.

Application filed February lit), 19%. serlalll'o. 5371535.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that l, lR-ANnoLrnr B. HAN- coon, a citizen of the United States, resid-- ing at Gary, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Automatic Feeding Device, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an automatic feeding device for shearing machines, punch presses, stamping machines or the like and has for its particular object means whereby continuous strips of material are led into a machine automatically and without any effort on the part of the operator of the machine after the material is started under the shearin mechanism oi? a machine.

Another object of my invention is the pro- I vision of a feeding mechanism which, while entirely automatic in its action is under the control of the operator at all times and which can be brought out of contact with the work at any time at the will'ot the operator.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an automatic feeding device w ich can be ickly and easily adjusted to an machine having a'horizontal operating sha t which stamps, punches or shears continuous bars to short len ths.

Another and rther object of'my inven tion is the provision ot a feeding device which in case a machine should become jammed the machine and feeding mechanism the case with the usual automatic feeding device.

These and other objects of my invention will be more fully and better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l-is a front view partially in elevation and partially in section of my improved ileeding device as applied to a shearing machine; and

igure 2 is a side view in elevation of my im roved machine.

eferring now specifically to the drawin a frame 10 is provided having a work tale 11 with a shearing block 12 secured thereto in any approved manner. To the horizontally exten 'ng driving shaft 13 of the machine is secured the usual cutter or punch head 14 in the usual manner, a late 15 which is secured to the trams 10 o the machine in any manner enclosing the cow nections between the punch he 14 and the shaft 13. Secured to the frame 10 of the machine by means of bolts 16 is an extenslon table 17 to the outer end of which supporting legs 18 are secured which rest upon the ground or upon any suitable foundation,

the extension 17 forming an operating and supporting table for the feeding mechanism hereinafter described. Secured to the outer end ed the shaft 13 by means of a key 19 is a wheel 20 having a slot 21 cast centrally of the wheel 20 within which a bolt 22 is seated, the head 23 of the bolt 22 being seated within the slot 21 extending across the face of the wheel 20. The wheel 20 immediately adjacent the edges of the slot 21 is serrated as at 24, a cooperating serrated washer 25 surroundin the bolt22 being provided so that the b0 t head 23 when'the nut 26 is screwed down tightly will be held secured in position. Mounted'upon the bolt 22 is an arm 27, to the outer end of which is secured a pair of downwardly extending yoke members 28 and 29 respectively, the said arms having a spacer 30 between them at their upper ends and secured together by means of bolts 31, a pin 32 being provided which extends through the upper ends of the arms 28 and 29 and through the lever 27, the said pin 32 being held in position by means of a key 33.

Centrally located of said arms 28 and 29 is a member 34 having 'trunnions 35 and 36 which are secured tothe arms by means of nuts 37 and 38, the said member 34 being in threaded engagement with the outer end of a cylinder 39, a lock cap 40 being provided which securely holds the member 34 in position on the cylinder 39. The cylinder 39 has a head member 41 secured thereto, the said head member 41 having an inwardly projecting portion 42 to which a gland 43 is secured and having packing 44 therein. A piston 45 is provided which extends throu h the head 41 and gland 43 and has a hea 46 secured thereto and held in posi-- ton 47. Bolts 50, 50 are provided which so cure thebrackct 48 to the frame lOof the machine. Secured to the frame member 17 at the opsite sides thereof is a pair of angle memrs 51 and 52 through angles 53 ill) and 54 being provided between which spacing members 55 and 56 extend, the angles 51 and 53 being, held together by means of bolts 57 and 58. Between the angles 51 and 53. a guide-way 59 is formed and within which the lower end of a bracket 60 1s positioned, the said bracket 60 being secured to the lower end of the arms 28 and 29 respectively, by means of a pin 61 which extends through the guide-ways formed between the angles 51 and 52 and the an les 53 and 54 respectively. The bracket 60 as a pair of spaced upstanding portions 62 and 63 respectively, between which a strip of material 64 which is fed into the machine is adapted to pass. Mounted in recesses 65 and 66 in the upper ends of the upstandin portions 62 and 63 respectively is a sha t 67. The upper ends of the arms 62 and 63 have portions 68 and 69 with bolts 70 and 71 extending therethrou h which, by means of the upper ends 72 an 73 and the lower ends 74 and 75 are adapted to hold the shaft 67 in position in the recesses 65 and 66. The shaft 67 has a feeding dog 76 mounted thereon, the dog 76 having a counterweight por-- tion 77 which is adapted to hold the member 26 securely in contact with the material 64 which is being fed into the shearing press. A torsion spring 78 mounted upon the outer end of the shaft 67 is provided which also serves to hold the latch 76 in position upon the work-piece and allows the latch to swing upwardly if desired. A lever 79 having a handle 80 15 also secured to the shaft 67 so that an operator may grasp th handle 80 and bring the latch 76 out 0 contact with the material bein fed into the members at any time desire To the outer end of the member 17 is secured a bracket 81 to which a 82 is secured, said guide mem er extending downwardly and outwardly away from the members so that a guide is formed for the material bein inserted into the feeding mechanism prior to theactual o eration of the feeding mechanism. Apairo triangular shaped side guides 83 and 84 are rovided so t at the strip of material 64 can easily fed into the feeding mechanism. Secured to the cylinder 39 and extending through the wall thereof is a compressed air supply pipe 84 havin a three-way valve 85 secured thereto, t e said sup ly pipe 85 leading to any suitable source o compressed air,,as an air compressor, so that the cylinder 39 can be supplied with compressed air at all times for the'purpose hereinafter described.

In the operation of the device a strip of material 64 is inserted into the machine between the portions 62 and 63 of the bracket 60 and under the cutter. head 14, the machine is started in operation and the cutter.

14 descends upon the strip of material 64,

making the first cut. As the cutter plate 4 uide memberascends and as soon as there isenough clearance under the cutter head 14 to cause the reduction of the shaft 24 through the operation of the machine, the lever arm 27 will be actuatedupon the trunnions 35 and 36 as fulcrums, compressed air having been admitted in the meantime through the suppl pipe 84 into the cylinder 39 so that the cy inder will be forced up tightly against the enlarged outside end of the piston. The bracket 60 will thereby be reciprocated in the guide 59 so that the latch 76 will catch upon the top of the strip of material 64 which will be pushed through the machine a redetermined distance, which is controlled y the distance which the bolt 22 is set from the center of the shaft 24 upon the wheel 20, or if it be preferred, a sto can be provided u on the machine and t e end of the material pushed against the stock with each cutting operation of the press. As the cutter head 14 decends upon the stock the brackets will be moved backward, the latch in the meantime sliding over the surface of the material so that as soon as the cutting operation is complete the bracket at the lower end of the lever arms 28 and 29 will catch the material and push the strip of material into the shearing machine the required distance, or against the stop, as may be desired. If for any reason the strip of material should become jammed in the machine the lever arms 28 and 29 will thereupon become fulcrumed upon the in 61 through the yoke 60 and W111 push't e cylinder outward against the compressed air in the cylinder 39 and the machine will continue to operate without damage to any of its parts or to the material which is being fed into the machine, or, if the operator desires, b means of the three-way valve he may ex aust the air out of the cylinder 39 so that as long as the machine will continue to operate the arms 28 and 29 will continue to move upon the fulcrum 61 heretofore described, without in anywise damaging the machine or the material which is being fed therein.

It will also be understood that it is necessary to pivotally mount the piston 45 upon the member 48 because the lower'end of the arms 28 and 29 have a parallel motion, and

the upper ends of these arms have an oscillating motion, the fulcrum point or cylinder is fed into and held securely against the connecting said member to aaaasae a step. In some cases, it may he desirable to shear and punch the material at the same time, whereupon the same method of operation can be followed, thus insuring the the holes will be punched into the material accurately with each stroke of the ress.

While I have described more or less precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts-and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or. render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

- I claim:

1. In combination, a feeding member, a resiliently positioned fulcrum member and means for oper-atively connecting said member to the operating parts of a machine.

2. In com ination, a pivotally mounted feeding member, a resiliently positioned fulcrum member and means for operatively the operating shaft of a metal working machine whereby the feeding member is operated in synchronism with the operating parts of said machine.

3. In combination, a pivotally mounted feeding member, operating connections betweensaid member and the driving shaft of a shearing machine, a cylinder to which said feeding member is fulcrumed, a piston in said c linder secured to the frame of the machine, and means at the lower end of said feeding member for gripping a work iece.

4. n combination, a pivotally mounted feeding yoke, a table within which the yoke is slidably mounted at its lower end, means carried by said yoke for gripping a work piece, a resilient fulcrum upon which said yoke is mounted, and operating connections between said yoke at its upper end and the driving shaft of a machine.

5. In combination, a pivotally mounte feeding yoke, a table having slides therein within which lower end, a latch pivotally secured to said yoke, a cylmder upon which said yoke is t at its upper end and the operating sha cured to sai said yoke is mounted at its.

tulcrumed, a piston in said cylinder, secured to the frame of the machine, endoperating connections between the said yoke of the machine whereby the said yoke is reciprocated with each revolution of the operating shaft.

6. In combination with a shearing machine, ot a pivotally mounted feeding yoke, a cylinder upon which said yoke is fulcrumed, a piston -in said cylinder secured to the frame of the machine at its free end, a table having guide ways therein, guide blocks, in said finds ways to which the said yoke is secure at its lower end, a latch adapted to grip a work piece, and an operating lever secured to said oke at its upper end and to the driving sha t of the shearing machine. I

7. In combination with a shearing machine,-of a pivotally mounted feeding yoke, a cylinder upon which said yoke 1s fulcrumed, a piston in. said cylinder secured to the frame of the machine at its free end, a table having ide ways therein, guide blocks in said guide ways to which the said yoke is secured at its lower end, a latch adapted to grip a work piece, and an oper 8Q ating lever secured to said yoke at one of its ends and adjustably secured to the driv= ing shaft of the shearing machine at its other end.

8. In combination with a shearing ma chine, of a pivotally mounted feeding yoke, a cylinder upon which said yoke 1s fulcrumed, a piston in said cylinder secured to the frame of the machine at itsfree end, a table having ide ways therein, guide blocks in said uide ways to which the said yoke is secure at its lower end, a latch adapted to ip a work piece, a lever se yoke at its upper end, a wheel a slot therein secured to the driving s aft of the shearing machine an means whereby the operating lever is secured to said wheel in a plurality of positions.

Signed at Gary, Indiana, this 9th day of February, 1922.

RANDOLPH B. i

havin recon.

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